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Laerdal New York Hosts Inaugural Use of the LINC for Customer Education

A group of 20 attendees representing EMS and Healthcare attended a seminar at the new Learning, Innovation, and Networking Center (LINC) at the Laerdal New York office entitled, "Building High-Performance Teams to Tackle Sudden Cardiac Arrest".

Centered on the American Heart Association’s 2013 Consensus Statement on CPR Quality, and success stories achieved by pioneers like King County EMS and others, attendees experienced first-hand how simulation-combined with constant and consistent measurement, assessment, and feedback-can instill a commitment to patient survival as part of a team’s character.

Attendees participated in a step-by-step progression showing how simulation can lead to improved individual competency; team coordination; team commitment to efficiency and continuous improvement; and team aggressiveness. Attendees also discovered how simulation can help teams develop situational awareness, overcome the unexpected, and develop the adaptive behavior necessary when things don’t go as planned.

Among the equipment used in the simulation were the Resusci Anne® QCPR with SimPad®, Resusci Anne® Simulator, CPRmeter™, and Resusci Anne® Wireless SkillReporter™. Quality of CPR was measured throughout a succession of increasingly difficult exercises that culminated with demonstrating what can happen to CPR quality during the hand off between EMTs, Paramedics, and Emergency Room staff. In that exercise attendees took full advantage of the LINC’s capabilities with EMTs treating the patient on site; Paramedics moving the patient to the ambulance and transporting; and a Nurse team receiving and treating the patient in the hospital Emergency Room.

One of the most challenging exercises in the session was when attendees had to perform CPR in a room where he lights were suddenly turned off and CPR had to continue in the dark.

Attendees as a group shared with us the benefits their organizations will gain if they implement the lessons they learned when they return to their work place. They included:

Employee Empowerment

Ownership; Accountability

Can-do Attitude

Urgency

Confidence

Teamwork

Competence

Better Patient Outcomes

Yesterday’s program is already being used at our national Simulation User Network (SUN) conferences , and may be modified to become an elective alternative for a Mini-SUN event.. It also marks another step in our commitments to resuscitation, to bringing diverse groups together to experience simulation, and to Helping Save Lives.